


The Dove's Brother

by grant_ward



Series: The Observer [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Rome, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-04-06 14:20:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19064410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grant_ward/pseuds/grant_ward
Summary: When Saturn, the Titan of time, slew his father, Uranus, the convergence of the bloody remains of his groins and the oceanic waters of Thalassa led to the birth of the voluptuous Goddess, Aphrodite. However unknown to the Titans and their children, another being was born from the churning of the oceans. A being powerful enough to end the reigns of both his siblings and his parents. This is the tale of that being.





	1. The birth of Love

**Author's Note:**

> As per international copyright laws, This is a work of fiction and contains characters from other copyright protected publications. Hence this disclaimer indicates that Percy Jackson and other copyright protected characters belong to Rick Riordan or their respective owners. The components of this work that I can take credit for are any additional characters and the plot created by me. Any offence to the reader is purely UNINTENTIONAL.
> 
> Note: This disclaimer also pertains to the copyright protected characters belonging to any other franchises. All the copyright protected characters mentioned or used in the book, belong to their rightful owners.

Before the Golden age, the Primordials ruled the universe and it's inhabitants. Oranus ruled the Skies, Gaea- the Earth, Nyx - the Night, Erebus - the Shadows, Aether - the Light, Hemera - the Day, Tartarus - the Pit, Pontus - the Oceans, Thalassa - the Seas and  so on. The Primordials were a powerful race yet they remained peaceful and maintained harmony in the universe. Oranus and Gaea had several children named the Titans. They were beings of great power but their power was limited to the domains they were gifted by the primordials. Oranus ruled the Earth and the skies with his wife, Gaea as his queen. His reign was a time of peace and growth but a single prophecy from his sister Anake, incited an inevitable change in history.

The prophecy that Oranus received stated that his own children would betray him and upsurp his throne and this cycle would repeat itself for them too until the hatred is dispelled. Oranus knew his death was imminent but made no attempts to change fate. His wife, coaxed her eldest son, Kronos into fulfilling the prophecy as she didn't wish to see her younger children suffer. So she manipulated and lied to him hoping to incite some incentive. Gaea's plan worked as the Titan Kronos, and his four brothers, slew their father in a fit of rage and hatred. His brothers, Atlas, Koios, Krios and Oceanus held down their father as Kronos used the sickle gifted by his mother to castrate and dispel his father's physical form.

The scattered remains of Oranus fell to the Earth and from their convergence were born the Gigantes. The bloodied remains of Oranus' groin fell into the waters of his sister Thalassa. The water frothed with white foam and churned as an enchanting woman rose from it's depths. Her dark hair framed her triangular face and flowed upto her abdomen. Her irides were a kaleidoscopic blue and silver before they flashed into ever-changing patterns. Her luscious lips were a deep shade of red and her skin a glowing shade of bronze. The woman suddenly fell unconscious on a magical island and the magical island slowly floated away to the coasts of Greece. By the time the island reached the shores of Greece, the Titans ruled all the lands stretching from the Alps in the west to the Carpathians in the east and the Balkans in the south.  Their fame and control soon spread through the continent all the way up to the Caucasus region. Meanwhile the woman had grown so accustomed to the comfortable isolation of her island that when she reached the shores of Greece, she was completely unaware of anything. Yet the children of the Titans, who had recently escaped their imprisonment in their father's stomach, welcomed her. She was welcomed to Greece by Zeus, Poseidon, Hades and their sisters. The enchanting woman told her tale to the rebellious children of the Titans. She stayed with them and fought at their side in the brutal wars of the Titanomachy that ravished all the lands. After their victory over their father at the hands of his 3 eldest children, the children ascended to Godhood and took control of their domains.  The youngest brother ruled the skies, the middle brother ruled the oceans, while the eldest brother ruled the underworld. Their sisters too became Goddess and presided over their domains. Several of their allies relinquished ties to the Titans and accepted Godhood to become a part of the First Olympian Pantheon. The enchanting woman who help the Gods in their battles too was granted Godhood and a seat on the pantheon. Thus the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, was born.

Meanwhile unknown to the Titans and Gods, the oceans churned for a long time. The waters of Thalassa delved into an uncontrollable frenzy known as the sea of monsters. However the iconic monsters Scylla and Charybdis were yet to be birthed by Typhon and Echidna, the parents of all monsters. Even the might of Oceanus and Poseidon did nothing to stop the storms that raged in those waters. Over time the waters of Thalassa became a tale of legend and horror. When the Gods finally ascended to their godhood and formed the pantheon, the raging storms in the churning waters of Thalassa slowly subsided and a man rose from the water. His hair was darker than midnight and his body was the epitome of perfection. From his back stretched two pristine white wings and sunshine glinted off his lightly tanned body. The oceans slowly returned to their state of peace. As the man opened his eyes, his irides glowed a brilliant shade of purple before they settled into kaleidoscopic pattern of glistening blue and silver. He looked around to see the isolated oceans and raised his hand. However before the mysterious figure could even fathom, he was covered in a glowing purple light. The mysterious figure shrunk in size as the light continued to permeate the surrounding air. His muscled torso and arm shrank until they matched that of a 3 year old toddler. As the light died down, a masked man in an amethyst suit of armor approached the floating toddler, who was now bawling his eyes out. He gently held the baby and soothed him as the baby's cries slowly turned into sobs. The masked man lulled the baby and softly said, "Sleep well son. You have a brilliant future ahead of you. But worry not, your mother, sister and I will be there for you. Now get some rest." As the man said the last sentence, the baby's eyes drooped and it snuggled into the man's armor while sucking its thumb. Seconds later the strange man disappears with the mysterious baby, leaving no trace of their existence. 


	2. Changing Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per international copyright laws, This is a work of fiction and contains characters from other copyright protected publications. Hence this disclaimer indicates that Percy Jackson and other copyright protected characters belong to Rick Riordan or their respective owners. The components of this work that I can take credit for are any additional characters and the plot created by me. Any offence to the reader is purely UNINTENTIONAL.
> 
> Note: This disclaimer also pertains to the copyright protected characters belonging to any other franchises. All the copyright protected characters mentioned or used in the book, belong to their rightful owners.

Third Person POV:

After their ascension, the Gods ruled the lands with great morality and fairness to set themselves apart from their predecessors. Their actions led them to be worshipped by mankind. However the most religious and devout of these followers were the hellenics. So they became the patron gods of Greece, then known as Hella.  
The lands of Greece prospered under the guidance and support of their Gods. In return, the hellenics built great city states to honor the gods. Athens was built in honor of Lady Athena and Lord Poseidon, Delphi in honor of Lord Apollo, Sparta in honor of Lord Ares. Not only were cities but also grand temples built in areas such as Didymus, Esephaus, Athens, Delos and so on. The gods were seen as the immortal guides of mankind.

**Location: Temple Of Apollo, Delphi**

The sun rose in the horizon casting shimmering rays of sunlight on the magnificent ediface of Lord Apollo's temple. Inside the majestic temple, surrounded by 3 men and 2 women clad in holy garments, sat a young maiden atop a klismos, with her eyes closed. With a shuddering gasp, the woman opened her eyes and looked around disoriented. The women helped the young maiden while a man clad in white holy garments asked her,   
"Κυρία μαντείο, Τι είδες?"  
[Lady Oracle, What did you see?]

The young oracle looked around at her fellow priests and priestesses before whispering, "Τιτάνες... Ελευθερη" [Titans... free]

All the priests and priestesses gasped while the priest in the white robe inhaled sharply and said, "πρέπει να προσευχηθούμε." [We must pray.]

The men and women formed a circle around the oracle and held each other by the shoulders. As the priests prayed, a streak of gold was seen falling from the sky as the sound of thunder was heard across the city. The falling streak landed on the altar of the temple, striking the ground with such force that the surrounding flowers, adornments and dust rose up to create a fog. In the midst of the settling fog was a man kneeling on the floor. The priests and the oracle bowed on one knee as the man slowly stood up. He was clad in light golden armor and wore a cloak that bore the symbol of the rising Sun. Atop his head, amongst black curly hair rested a golden olive wraith. His eyes shone with an intensity almost making them glow. His being radiated power and light as he motioned for his followers to rise.

The priests rose up and the oracle said, "θεός Απόλλων, Είχα ένα όραμα."   
[Lord Apollo, I had a vision.]

The God of the sun motioned for her to continue and the oracle said, "Είδα τους Τιτάνες να απελευθερώνονται."   
[I saw the Titans being released.]

The God of the sun looked into the eyes of the young girl. The girl flinched from the scrutinizing gaze of her patron as she felt her very soul was being examined. Never had the priests nor the Oracle seen their patron this serious, it unnerved them to think of something that would unsettle their Godly patron himself. After a few moments of agonizing silence, the God asked the oracle,  
"Από ποιον?" [By whom?]  
The oracle replied in a small voice,   
"Δεν ξέρω, Κύριέ μου." [I don't know, My Lord.]

The God looked at his followers and said in a voice that left no room for argument, "Με υπηρετήσατε καλά, ιερείς. Δεν πρέπει να αποκαλύψετε αυτές τις πληροφορίες σε κανέναν. Η μοίρα της Ελλάδας βρίσκεται στην ισορροπία." [You have served me well, priests. You must not disclose this information to anyone. The fate of Greece is in the balance.]

The priests bowed in response and said, "Η επιθυμία σας είναι η εντολή μας." [Your wish is our command.]

The God then turned to leave but was stopped by the oracle who asked, "Κύριε μου, τι για την πριγκίπισσα Ελένη;" [My Lord, what about princess Helen?]

The God of truth merely looked over his shoulder and said, "Η μοίρα δεν μπορεί να αλλάξει, μαντείο." [Fate can not be changed, Oracle] With those words, the God shone brilliantly before he vanished heavenwards in a golden streak of light, as the priests averted their eyes.

**Location: Unknown**

A man with deep amethyst eyes laughed as he looked at a mirror that showed a temple. A second later, a shrill cry was heard and the man's laughter turned into giggles. He slowly made his way to a crib and picked up a crying baby. The man gently calmed the baby down and whispered sweet nothings into the baby's ear as it snuggled into his chest. After a while, the baby's flailing arms slowly stopped and it's tiny fluttering wings ceased as it's eyes drooped and it fell asleep. The man then kissed the baby's forehead and whispered softly, "Mox, filius meus: mox." [Soon, my son soon]


	3. What Have I Done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per international copyright laws, This is a work of fiction and contains characters from other copyright protected publications. Hence this disclaimer indicates that Percy Jackson and other copyright protected characters belong to Rick Riordan or their respective owners. The components of this work that I can take credit for are any additional characters and the plot created by me. Any offence to the reader is purely UNINTENTIONAL.
> 
> Note: This disclaimer also pertains to the copyright protected characters belonging to any other franchises. All the copyright protected characters mentioned or used in the book, belong to their rightful owners.

Apollo POV:

The gift of prophecy is a curse in disguise. Knowing what is about to happen yet being forced to not stop or change it. After the Titanomachy, when my sister and I were crowned Olympians, I wanted nothing more than to spend time with my father but he turned out to be a busy God. My sister left to guide her priestesses but I could only interfere when the Fates deemed it fit. Despite the drama and hyperbole, being a god is very very very lonely. Zeus had Hera, and despite rumors of his infidelity, Zeus actually never strayed from his marriage often. His only demigod children were Heracles and Perseus. Poseidon had Amphitheatre, his only demigod son born before his marriage was Theseus, who was the father of Athens. Hades had Persephone while the other Olympians mostly spent time in their domains.

As I returned from Delphi, the words of the Oracle rang in my head. I had to chose between my sister and the world. The worst part was I couldn't interfere directly. If I let fate run its course, then the Titans would be unleashed upon the world and they would be stopped but at a cost, the cost of my sister's heart. If I interfered and prevented it, another war would break out but this one in the mortal world. The future was not clear but I knew this mortal war would involve the gods and more importantly it would involve my twin sister breaking the ancient laws.  _A small price to pay. It is time to make a gambit_.

**Timeskip [ & A Line Break]**

I was furious.  _Ugh how could those goddesses involve themselves. What were Hera and Athena thinking? They messed up my perfect plan. Aphrodite was supposed to seduce Paris and ensure that his eyes never fell on Helen. But when Hera and Athena got involved, Aphrodite lost sight of the goal and got involved in the argument. Now Paris must choose the most beautiful woman amongst the Goddess. Huh. When did they become so vain? They are Gods, for crying out loud. Asking a mortal to judge beauty, that is something not worth the time of a God._

I watched helplessly as Paris took Helen with him. Melanus, in a fit of rage and anger, summoned his allies and asked them to honor their oath of Tyndareus. His brother, Agamemnon, led the reluctant armies of Greece. Before they could set sail, my sister intervened on behalf of the innocent soldiers who would be slaughtered because of Agamemnon's actions. I watched as Agamemnon slew his own daughter, Iphigenia, to Appease my sister. Happy with the sacrifice and acknowledgement, my sister let the armies sail under the command of Agamemnon and Achilles.

Third Person POV :

As the war progressed, Agamemnon captured Chryseis, priestess of Apollo and daughter of Chryses. To protect his priestess and much to the ire of the Olympian Council, the Sun God unleashed a plague on the armies of Greece. When his priestess was returned to her father, the plague receded. After several attacks against Troy, Achilles was killed as Paris' arrow pierced his heel, however no one noticed the dissipating silverish glow on the arrow. When the arrow struck Achilles, a man with brilliant blue eyes and dark hair was seen standing miles away amongst the trees. The Gods on Olympus believed that Apollo guided the arrow of Paris that fell Greece's greatest warrior and so he was punished to experience mortality. Thus the sun God took the blame for his sister's actions, happy that for once he changed fate.... or so he thought.

The Trojan war ended with the sacking of Troy by the Hellenics. Paris and Helen were killed along with most of the Trojans. However unknown to the Hellenics and their Gods, a small boy with wings of white and eyes of silver was seen guiding a boy clad in royal garbs. As the city of Troy burned, the winged boy stopped as he noticed his companion wasn't following him.

He quickly grabbed the other boy's hand and pulled him but the boy had tears in his eyes as he whispered, "My parents, my friends, they are all.." The winged boy did not let his companion finish his sentence as he lifted his head by the chin and said, "Aeneas, now is not the time to grieve. Pluto will grant your family passage into the underworld. You shall make your father proud and one day you shall make the Hellenics pay for their barbaric crimes. Now let's run before we join them the hard way."

Thus the two boys fled the burning city of Troy and headed west. They met a group of emigrants from Troy. Together they set out to Carthage under the guidance of the mysterious silver eyed boy. After a few years, they reached Carthage and formed an alliance with the Carthaginian queen, Dido. The queen was married to Aeneas and together they ruled over Carthage in peace. However no one other than Aeneas missed a certain winged silver eyed boy who disappeared after the royal wedding.


	4. Meet The Olympians [Part-I]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per international copyright laws, This is a work of fiction and contains characters from other copyright protected publications. Hence this disclaimer indicates that Percy Jackson and other copyright protected characters belong to Rick Riordan or their respective owners. The components of this work that I can take credit for are any additional characters and the plot created by me. Any offence to the reader is purely UNINTENTIONAL.
> 
> Note: This disclaimer also pertains to the copyright protected characters belonging to any other franchises. All the copyright protected characters mentioned or used in the book, belong to their rightful owners.

**Name: Artemis**  
**Title: Olympian God of The Moon, Wilderness, Hunt, Childbirth and Archery.**

**Artemis PoV:**

Now, I know you might expect me to be some arrogant brat who had everything handed to her because she is the daughter of the king or a judgemental narcissist with a huge grudge based on some preconceived notions. Well, I did get a few things from my father but I am not the manipulative bastard in my family. The honor of that title should belong to my twin brother, Apollo. He has everyone fooled with his 'cool guy' act. He tricked me into swearing an oath against love too.

\---------------------Flashback-----------------------

It was a sunny day on Olympus and the throne room of the gods was bustling with activity as the immortals prepared for the coronation ceremony. It wasn't everyday new Olympians were crowned, not just one but two. A young boy of 7 years, with dark brown hair and brilliant blue eyes, was running across the streets being chased a young girl of 6, with fiery auburn hair and silver eyes with a splash of freckles on the nose and cheeks. The boy's laughter echoed along the streets as he ran through them, cleverly evading the projectiles thrown by his pursuer. The two children made their way through the heavenly city engrossed in their joyous games. Their game lead them to the slave houses where the boy abruptly stopped causing the girl to run into him.

The girl smacked the boy upside the head while clutching her nose, that was now a brilliant shade of gold and said, "Apollo, why did you stop? Now I have a boo boo, you big meanie." The boy, Apollo, continued to stay silent which led to the girl coming around from behind his back. The girl gasped as she took in the scene before her. A man kneeled over a woman's body, neither of them clothed. The woman cried and pleaded but the man forced himself on her. The children remained hidden in the bushes as they saw the man kill the woman as she attempted to free herself. Apollo finally came to his senses and grabbed his sister's hand before they ran to the throne room. They stopped just short of the throne room, panting for breath. The girl had tears in her eyes as she whispered, "How could you, Apollo? How could you just hide and watch as that poor woman was killed?"

Apollo looked at the girl as he morphed into an older form, following his lead so did the girl. Then Apollo said, "Come on, Artemis. There was nothing we could do. We can't interfere in mortal affairs. We are just godlings." The woman nodded agreeing but still looked sad. However she brightened up once her brother said, "OK, since today is the last day we are going to be free, why don't we go home and see what mom is doing?"  
Wihh those words, both the young gods disappeared in a flash of light and reappeared on an island with lush green forests and beautiful sandy beaches. They slowly waded through the sands as they made their way to a small cottage on the borders of the forest. As they approached the house, they heard crying coming from the house and immediately armed themselves. They might have been godlings but they were still stronger than the ordinary creatures that inhabited the island. The sibling duo silently made their way into the cottage to be met with an unexpected sight. Their mother, a beautiful women with dark hair and fierce blue eyes was hugging her knees and sobbing. She instantly wiped her tears with the back of her hand as she saw them and asked, "Artemis, Apollo, How are you? I thought tomorrow was your coronation." Apollo smiled at his mother and turned into an adorable 5 year old and said, "Mowmy, you awe home." Leto lightly chuckled as she hugged her son and turned towards her daughter to see her in her 12 year old form.

Artemis hugged her mother or rather her legs tightly as her mother smiled at them. After prying a stubborn Apollo who refused to let go of Leto's leg as he hugged her, Leto asked the children to wait outside as she prepared them dinner. Artemis followed her brother outside to keep an eye on him as he played on the sands of the beach. Her thoughts were plagued by memories of the vicious scene they had seen earlier and the sobs of her mother. She sat on a rock and watched as her brother, made castles with mud and tried to keep the water away from them, miserably failing in the process. She was lost in her thoughts when she felt someone poking her side, she turned to see little Apollo standing on small rock with a stick in his hand. He sat down next to her and asked her, "Why so sad, Awty?" Artemis turned away looking at the waves as she said, "I don't know, Apollo. I can't forget what happened. It just eats away at me." Apollo stopped tapping the stick as he morphed into his 12 year old form and asked, "Artemis, what happened wasn't your fault. The woman died because that man killed her. Not because of you. Mother was crying because she is in love Father but they cannot be together. Not because we were leaving. She knew would be Gods, that's why she thought us how to travel quickly, so we could see her anytime we want."

The duo were silent for a minute as the waves crashed on the shore rhythmically spraying the air with a fine mist. After a minute, Artemis asked her brother in a small voice, "Brother, is this what love means? Sadness, pain, sorrow, misery. That means we both are bound to suffer them too." Artemis facing the seas, couldn't see a happy glint appear in Apollo's eyes as he said, "I know a way to avoid love, sister. We won't have deal with it ever again. We can be happy together with mom and dad for the rest of eternity." Artemis' head snapped to the side as she faced her brother who had a smile on his face. Her eyes regained their brightness as she asked, "How? Wait let's do it now so that we can be free forever. Otherwise we might forget later." Apollo nodded and said, "All we have to do is say these words, 'I, (full name), swear on the river Styx to abstain from romantic relationships and never acknowledge love.'" For a second, Artemis looked unsure as she asked, "Apollo, are you sure of this? Mother always warned us never to swear on the Styx unless it is extremely important. Don't you remember? She said bad things happen to people who swear on that river." Apollo continued smiling and said, "No problems, sister. We will take this oath together. I asked aunty Demeter and she said that bad things happen only when you break an oath. But neither of us want to break that oath so we should be ok."

Artemis still unsure asked her brother, "We do this together, right? I take the oath and then you do too. Ok?" Apollo lightly laughed and said, "Of course sister. Ok." Artemis gained a small smile as she swore the oath and thunder boomed across the sky signalling the sealing of the oath. Artemis looked at Apollo impatiently waiting for him to do the same. However, Apollo simply smiled at her and looked genuinely relieved. Fearing the worst, Artemis asked her brother, "Apollo why aren't you swearing the oath? You said you would do it with me." Apollo's smile fell as he became serious and said, "I am sorry sister. But I cannot protect you everyday when we become gods. I cannot stand to see you heartbroken just like mom. Now you would never be in a relationship and hence you would never get hurt." Tears rolled down Artemis' cheeks as she looked at her twin.

\----------------End of Flashback-----------------

Ever since then I have been fooled several times by my brother into committing gruesome acts. I knew I  couldn't ever get married or have children but that didn't mean I  couldn't fall in love. I followed Aunt Hestia's example and swore to be a maiden in order to avoid revealing my initial oath. But like my aunt, the maiden oath was made to my Father, Zeus, rather than the Styx. So I hope that maybe when my initial oath is lifted, I could ask father to revoke my oath.

I searched for years to find a solution to my problem but I only managed to find a loophole. The oath stated that I  couldn't acknowledge my love but that didn't mean I couldn't love. So every time I fell in love, I would simply wait for the inevitable demise of my beloved. I never spent much time on Olympus in fear of falling for an immortal and suffering eternally.

Not only did he make me swear off love, he spread lies (he is the God of truth, ironically) about me to any and everyone willing to listen. He killed and tricked me into killing Actaeon, Orion, Callisto, Atlanta, Polyphonte, Aura, Chione, Niobe and countless more. Everyone believes that I hate men but I don't. He always acts like an idiot so nobody believes he is even capable of higher thought. His meddling and behavior have made me exile myself to the Hunt. The only place I have left. I hunt monsters everyday but he.. He made me a monster. Every time I see someone, I see the fear in their eyes. They think I am a mindless monster who irrationally judges an entire race based on a few people. I am forced to be someone I am not and the worst part is that everybody believes that I truly am that person.

Well, I guess this is it. Now atleast you know my story. If Apollo ever finds you, run because you know the truth and he will stop at nothing to hide it.


	5. Meet The Olympians [Part-II]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per international copyright laws, This is a work of fiction and contains characters from other copyright protected publications. Hence this disclaimer indicates that Percy Jackson and other copyright protected characters belong to Rick Riordan or their respective owners. The components of this work that I can take credit for are any additional characters and the plot created by me. Any offence to the reader is purely UNINTENTIONAL.
> 
> Note: This disclaimer also pertains to the copyright protected characters belonging to any other franchises. All the copyright protected characters mentioned or used in the book, belong to their rightful owners.

Name: Pallas Athena

Title: Olympian Goddess of wisdom, handicrafts and warfare.

 

Greetings, godling. As you know, I am the Goddess of wisdom, handicrafts and warfare. Contrary to popular belief, I was born from my mother, Metis, in the form of a toddler. Since my mother was consumed by my father, my growth was sluggish compared to that of an average godling. Whilst my father was busy, my uncle Poseidon nurtured and parented me alongside his son and heir, Triton. Triton and I soon grew to become very good friends. As I spent more time with the young sea prince, I found myself spending more time with my uncle. He always looked dashing and handsome with his sea green eyes and messy hair. He was never despondent, even when his queen, Amphitrite had affairs with mortals. In all of my existence, I have seen my uncle sire only two mortal children, Theseus and Orion. Orion however was revealed to be a Gigante born of uncle's blood. Theseus was born before uncle was forced to marry that wretched nereid as a peace treaty between the gods and titans, causing me to swear the maiden oath. He went to become the founder of Athens. The city that holds the patronage of both, me and uncle Poseidon.

 

Now before you go about judging the gods, you must know that even the gods feel mortal emotions such as anger, lust, pride and so on. But the difference is that the gods experience very fluctuating emotions, the emotional stability of a God is generally nil as the fluctuations are constant. But not only do these fluctuations affect the God but they also reflect on his/her domains. Gods rarely sleep with mortals as the beauty of the gods is beyond the comprehension of mortals and often ostracizes us from mankind. In all of history, there have been less than a 150 demigods in summation. That number includes the children of the minor gods and immortals such as Achilles, etc. Even the children of the minor gods and immortals always exhibit far superior biological features and skills amongst the humans. 

 

After I was crowned an Olympian, I was forced to spend most of my time on Olympus or in my domains. I know the question on your mind is, 'why did I curse Medusa?' I guess I could tell you the truth. But remember, my fatal flaw is hubris for a reason. 

 

\- - - - - - - - - -  FLASHBACK- - - - - - - - - - - - 

 

Third Person POV:

 

On the magnificent city of Olympus, in a startling grey temple adorned with images and carvings of learning, paced a handsome man with sea green eyes and raven black hair. His hair billowed in the evening breeze along with his toga, that fluttered in the wind to reveal glimpses of his well toned swimmer's body. The man paced across the room as he awaited the arrival of the temple's patron goddess. Across from the pacing man, a woman with brunette hair and blue eyes sat atop the temple stairs, watching the man pace back and forth. 

 

The woman looked around nervously before she stood up and smoothed the creases on her chiton. She slowly made her way to the man and slowly bowed before him and said, "Lord Poseidon, it's an honor to have you here." The God of the seas looked at the priestess in shock that someone recognized his mortal form, before motioning for her to rise. As the woman rose, the God asked her, "Who might you be, young maiden? What are you doing in my niece's temple?" The woman replied, "I am the priestess of Lady Athena, My Lord. My name is Medusa." The God of the seas smiled kindly and said, "It was nice to meet you, Medusa. Do you know when your mistress shall return?" Medusa blushed heavily and cleared her throat before answering the oblivious God in front of her, "I know not when my mistress is to return, my lord. But if you permit, I shall keep you company until she arrives." The elder God mistook the maiden's advances as enthusiasm and permitted her to stay. The chief priestess of Athena showed him around the temple while fawning over him. 

 

As the priestess tried to capture the heart of the God, an enchanting woman dressed in a grey chiton with an olive wreath in her braided black hair, appeared in a flash of light. The woman strode through her temple confidently, eager to see her fellow Olympian. However the sight that greeted her infuriated her to no end, her chief priestess was attempting to capture the heart of the Elder God who seemed oblivious to the woman's attempt to seduce him. When the Goddess revealed her presence, Medusa looked at her patron scared before she went scurrying off to oversee the worship. The God of the seas then spoke to the wisdom goddess regarding a matter of importance before he bid his goodbyes and left in a swirl of mist. 

 

The Goddess instantly summoned her priestess and asked her, "What were you doing, priestess? You dare attempt to court someone inside this hallowed temple." The priestess looked chastised for a second before saying, "Why would you care, Lady Athena? You are a maiden goddess. You cannot court anyone much less an Olympian God." The wisdom goddess shook in barely concealable rage as her priestess taunted her. She growled out, "Watch your tone, priestess. You are to be a maiden to serve me. Do not anger your own patron." The priestess' face paled as she heard the threat of her mistress, a threat she knew was more of a promise. But anger overcame her fear as she screamed at her patron, "You think you can even stand a chance with him you are mistaken. You are nothing more than his niece. You will never be his beloved with your beauty or the lack of it." The silence in the temple, after the priestess' words, was oppressing. The women glared at each other, forgetting their status and battling only for the love of the Lord of the seas. 

 

After a few minutes, the Goddess whispered in an ancient tongue, "I curse you, Medusa. The beauty you extol shall turn into a hideous beast. Your very gaze shall kill the eyes that fall upon you. You shall walk the earth for eternity, alone and feared by everyone. This is the curse of Medusa." The priestess was engulfed in a bright light as her flawless pearly skin began to grow scales, her hair turned into snake like appendages and her clear blue eyes turned into a mixture of dark blue, yellow and white. Her melodic voice became a hoarse whisper and her curvaceous figure turned into one resembling that of a gorgon. As the former priestess was about to launch herself at her patron, the Goddess of wisdom burst into her true form incinerating the cursed maiden. When the light shone down, the wind blew the remanents of the golden dust out of the temple. 

 

\- - - - - - - - - FLASHBACK END- - - - - - - - - 

 

That is the story of Medusa. I am not proud of it but my pride and her actions will forever prevent me from undoing the curse. It happened again, with Aarchnae and her children but she too cursed my children and me. I guess that makes us even. 

 

Anyhow, the ancient laws forbid me from entering my uncle's realm without permission but he always seems so busy and I can never gain the heart to disturb him. But the advantage of being on the Olympian council is that I get to see him at every meeting and debate matters with him. Most mortals and immortals believe that I am a rival of my uncle but I debate with him because he is smart enough to give me a good challenge and not to mention, I get to spend time with him. (*sighs dreamily*) We even come up with stupid nicknames for each other. 

 

(*quickly regains composure after blushing a deep golden*) Speak of that ever, to anyone and the last thing you see will be Aegis and my spear. If Aphrodite ever finds out, I am going to skin you alive before handing you over to my sister and her priestesses. She tends to be more psychotic than me. That being said, I appreciate you keeping my secret. 

 

 


	6. Teaser Trailer

**One giant timeskip later..**

 

It was a cloudy afternoon in August as a school bus slowly made its way across the modern city of New York. Inside the bus, next to a 12 year old girl with pale olive skin and dark hair, sat an boy with identical pale olive skin and black hair. To everyone around them, the twins were considered losers but little did they know that those two twins were meant for great things. In front of the olive skinned boy sat a kid with shaggy brown hair and a visible mustache. A girl with curly red hair and freckles kept tossing her food at the poor kid who remained silent. The dark haired twins reigned in their anger with great difficulty before glaring at the ginger girl with such ferocity that she flinched looking away from the identical pairs of onyx eyes. The twins attempted to confront the girl but were stopped by the kid who said, "Guys, you can't do it. You will be punished. You are already on probation. Besides I like peanut butter." The boy whispered furiously, "I don't care, Grover. That ginger bitch thinks she can run this place. Someone must show her her place." The kid now identified as Grover, looked at his friend worriedly and said, "It's okay, man. Let it go. It doesn't do well to hold grudges."

 

The twins reluctantly sat down as they continued glaring at the aforementioned girl....

 

**A/N: Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my first author's note. Can anyone guess the characters in this chapter, other than Grover? I have dropped plenty of hints. Is the answer really that simple or is it some overcomplicated plot point?**

 

 


	7. The Deadly Chase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per international copyright laws, This is a work of fiction and contains characters from other copyright protected publications. Hence this disclaimer indicates that Percy Jackson and other copyright protected characters belong to Rick Riordan or their respective owners. The components of this work that I can take credit for are any additional characters and the plot created by me. Any offence to the reader is purely UNINTENTIONAL.
> 
> Note: This disclaimer also pertains to the copyright protected characters belonging to any other franchises. All the copyright protected characters mentioned or used in the book, belong to their rightful owners.

_**This chapter is dedicated to** _ _** SortaCats ** _ _**for the wonderful guesses made about the characters. Also a round of thanks to all the readers, voters and commentors.** _  
  


**On** **August 17th, 2010 AD;**

It was a cloudy afternoon in August as a school bus slowly made its way across the modern city of New York. Inside the bus, next to a 12 year old girl with pale olive skin and dark hair, sat a boy with identical pale olive skin and black hair. To everyone around them, the twins were considered losers but little did they know that those twins were meant for great things. In front of the olive skinned boy sat a kid with shaggy brown hair and a visible mustache. A girl with curly red hair and freckles kept tossing her food at the poor kid who remained silent. The dark haired twins reigned in their anger with great difficulty before glaring at the ginger girl with such ferocity that she flinched looking away from the identical pairs of onyx eyes. The twins attempted to confront the girl but were stopped by the kid who said, "Guys, you can't do it. You will be punished. You are already on probation. Besides I like peanut butter." The olive skinned boy whispered furiously, "I don't care, Grover. That ginger bitch thinks she can run this place. Someone must show her her place." The kid now identified as Grover, looked at his friend worriedly and said, "It's okay, man. Let it go. It doesn't do well to hold grudges."

The twins reluctantly sat down as they continued glaring at the aforementioned girl. The bus eventually reached its destination, the New York Museum of History. The entourage of mismatched students were led into the galleries by a bearded man in a wheel chair and a tall museum guide. The children slowly followed their teacher into the exhibits and were milling around a statue when the dair haired boy loudly said, "Would you shut up?". The twins' cheeks were tinted pink in embarrassment as the man in the wheelchair stopped his explanation and asked, "Mr. Di'Angelo, is there something you have to say?" The boy in question merely shook his head as the others snickered at him, none louder than a curly red haired girl.

Nico POV:

Ugh. That bitch. She always gets me into trouble. I never wanted Mr. Brunner to shut up, I wanted Nancy to shut up. But no one even believes me when I tell them that Nancy is basically the devil's spawn, except for Bi, Grover and Mr. Brunner. Mr Brunner is the only one who catches her doing shady stuff. He has like radar ears.

After a depressing note on Greek history, Mr. Brunner allowed us to go on our lunch break. Seriously why would those myths even matter, it's the equivalent of the modern boogeyman. Before Bi and I could leave, Mr. Brunner called us out and asked us, "Ah. Nico and Bianca, while your answers on the history of Greece were astute. You must find an answer to my question, 'how would this help you?' I only expect the best from the two of you. Now go have lunch." After Mr. Brunner left, I looked at Bianca and knew she was thinking the same thing as me.

Bianca POV:

After the enlightening conversation with Mr. Brunner, I looked at Nico and immediately knew what he was thinking. You see we are not like normal twins, we have this ability, I guess, where we know what the other is thinking or feeling. Ever since we could remember, we always felt what the other felt. It was both a blessing and a curse. When either one of us were sad, the other would know. When either one of was hurt, the other would know. We were always together even when when we were not. The embarrassing down side was that we felt everything that the other felt and when I say everything, I mean  **everything**. We researched this phenomenon several times, but we only found one piece of relevant information. Unfortunately for us, it was a myth, a legend, a tale of dubious origin. The story spoke of times in ancient Greece and Rome, when twins of opposite gender with godly blood were born. However that is a story for another time.

Anyway back to the point, I knew that Nico felt bad about letting Mr. Brunner down. After all that Mr. Brunner did for both of us, we couldn't disappoint him. After switching schools almost every year because of bizarre accidents, Nico and I were enrolled into Yancy Academy by our mom. You wouldn't believe half the things that happen to us. Once we were on a field trip to the zoo, when this huge bat started to divebomb a bully and the rest of the class, needless to say we were expelled the following year because the teachers thought we unlocked their cages. When we were enrolled into Yancy academy, we thought that the teachers would just find some way to expel us but we actually made friends and the teachers or atleast Mr. Brunner cared about us enough to actually teach us.

I took Nico's hand in mine and we slowly made our way to have lunch at the benches near the entrance to the museum. We were eating with Grover when we saw that ginger skank throwing her food at him. I could feel Nico's anger and I was sure his already angry mood was worsened by my own increasing temper. Smirking at Nico, Nancy made her way towards us and 'tripped' when she was near us, dumping her lunch onto Grover's lap. She got up and dusted off the non-existent dirt off her clothes, before smirking and saying, "Oops, I am so sorry, Grover. I didn't mean to drop my lunch."

Before I could warn Nico that Mr. Dodds, the museum guide was still here, Nico clenched his fist and I felt something tug at my gut. The next thing we know, Nancy is lying on her bottom on the other side of the quad with a scared look on her face. Mr. Dodds looks at us and whispers something to Mr. Brunner before smiling sweetly at us and saying, "Nico, Bianca. Can you please follow me? We must discuss your reasons for attacking a fellow student on museum grounds." Grover was shifting uncomfortably on the bench. Not that I would blame him, he was covered in pasta and sauce. Mr. Dodds motioned for us to follow him after he helped up Nancy and took her to Mr. Brunner to be given first aid.

We followed Mr. Dodds into the museum and into a renovation chamber. I don't think I was hallucinating but I saw Mr. Dodds grow in height until he was towering over us by a good 4 to 5 feet and his features were a little hazy but I could see he had only one eye, like some sort of gaint one eyed monster. He asked in a frightening voice that resonated like thunder, "Where is the champion, Half bloods? You have one chance to reveal the truth before you join your father. Where have you hidden the champion?"

Our father? Our father was dead. Mom told us that our dad was a geological engineer who died when a mine he was surveying collapsed. I was too scared to ask him what he meant but apparently Nico was feeling rebellious as he asked the huge man, "You know our father? He died in an accident. How could you know our dad?" The giant roared, "That is it you, miserable half bloods. You think your lies shall deceive me, then you are mistaken." The giant took out a huge club that magically appeared in his hands and charged at us. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mr. Brunner throw a pencil at me and Nico. I was thinking of the use of a pencil to skewer our attacker when I noticed that the 'pencil' heading in our direction was a spear. It looked like a typical Greek spear. I dove forward and caught it while Nico distracted the monster by running at his legs. The spear was a little heavy in my hands but it was the only available weapon so I positioned myself behind the giant and motioned for Nico to run towards me. As Nico dashed towards me, I saw his hands clench and I felt that weird tug in my gut. I saw shadows blind the giant for a second as Nico and I ducked under an incoming strike. We heaved the spear through his leg and watched him turn to golden dust. Both Nico and I fell on top of each other, reeling from exhaustion. We stayed in each other's embrace for a while before we got up and dusted ourselves off. I remembered the spear and went to pick it up only to find a pencil. I took the pencil and returned it to Mr. Brunner who asked us to bring our own 'writing instruments'.

When we returned to the dorm, Nico and I discussed the weird stuff that happened that day and decided that maybe it would be best to keep it to ourselves since everyone said that the guide's name was Mr. Bob and not Mr. Dodds. It was strange that we were the only ones that remembered him or the fact that he tried to skewer us. Grover had been acting shifty ever since the field trip to the museum. He was always nervous and would whimper suddenly, that strangely sounded like a goat.

A few weeks later;  
Nico and I finally completed one year of schooling without any mishaps. It was a personal record for us. Despite the weirdness and strange conversations we over heard between Grover and Mr. Brunner about some guy called Lord of the Air, we made it home after Grover left to attend some camp. When we reached home, we were greeted by mom, who treated us with black licorice and mint cookies. She was happy that we hadn't gotten kicked out yet again and promised to take us to our favourite location in New York, Zoar Valley. Mom told us to relax for the day so that we could start in the evening.

Nico POV:

After a day of relaxation, Bianca and I put our bags into mom's car as we got ready for our trip to the most serene place in New York, Zoar Valley. I sat in the back with Bianca and mom started asking us about our year as she drove. She is the only one who knows of our secret. She didn't disapprove of our proximity, unlike other parents. She was okay with us being tight-knit. She said that as along as Bianca and I remained as close as we were, nothing could ever break us apart and that we would always have the support to pick ourselves up when we were down. So we drove through the city talking about the school year and our academic future, with Bianca trying to get me into trouble with mom and I, her.

When we were approaching the valley, we saw thunderclouds covering the moon. Lightning flashed dangerously as thunder resonated across the skies. It was as if the skies were raining down their anger upon the earth. We had barely reached the valley when we saw Grover standing on the side of the road. We picked him up and were heading towards the campsite before he told us to rush to some camp. He began talking gibberish. He was speaking with my mom telling her about our safety and the time to leave and stuff like that. I asked mom, "Mom, what is going on? How do you know Grover?" Our mom simply replied, "Nico, Bianca, there is so much I need to tell you but there is not enough time. Just know that before your father died, he wanted you to attend a special camp. But I was selfish, I wanted to take care of you. You were my children too, I couldn't leave you at a camp. Now it's too late. Just know that I love you both more than anything and that both of you will always be there for each other, no matter what others say." I could sense Bianca's sadness and confusion. I hugged her and felt my shirt get soaked from her tears.

Grover was busy shouting directions to reach the camp but Bianca and I felt something off. The ground shook rhythmically and the sound was getting louder and louder. Before we could warn mom or Grover, a massive lightning bolt struck the road in front of the car and blasted the car off the road.

I woke up with a buzzing sound in my ear and a severe headache. I looked around to see Bianca slowly getting up and checking on mom. I pulled Grover out of the wreck as he muttered about food. The rumbling got louder as a shadow loomed over the wreckage. I looked at the figure that cast the shadow and saw Mr. Dodds in his giant form. He approached us and with every step he took I felt my heart beat a few times faster. I pulled Grover behind me and slapped him a few times before he woke up. He pointed to a pine tree and yelled for us to run. But Bianca and I were struggling to pull our mother out of the wreckage. Just as the giant reached us, we pulled out mom from the car but she kept yelling at us to save ourselves.

Before we could even comprehend what had happened, the giant lifted mom in one hand and squeezed hard as she burst into golden dust, just like he did when we stabbed him. I heard Bianca's scream and another which took a minute realize was my own. But before I could do anything, the giant stepped back and disappeared in a breeze. I caught Bianca as she fainted and dragged Grover along to the pine tree. Just as we made it across the tree, I felt the exhaustion of the day and the incidents catch up with me and felt myself going unconscious with my sister tightly in my grasp. The last thing I saw was a face similar to that of Mr. Brunner.

 


	8. First Day of Camp

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per international copyright laws, This is a work of fiction and contains characters from other copyright protected publications. Hence this disclaimer indicates that Percy Jackson and other copyright protected characters belong to Rick Riordan or their respective owners. The components of this work that I can take credit for are any additional characters and the plot created by me. Any offence to the reader is purely UNINTENTIONAL.
> 
> Note: This disclaimer also pertains to the copyright protected characters belonging to any other franchises. All the copyright protected characters mentioned or used in the book, belong to their rightful owners.

Bianca POV:

I woke up to a familiar embrace and I snuggled into the warm body of my twin, trying to return to my precious slumber as he continued snoring lightly. I felt the haze of sleep creeping onto me when I heard stifled giggling and whispering. I groggily sat up, which was a task in itself with my twin's hand around my waist and mine under his neck. I saw 2 blondes, one a girl with a California tan and grey eyes standing and the other, a mischievous looking boy with a scar running down the right side of his face. The girl looked flustered while the boy was trying his best not to laugh. It was then that the events of the previous night came flooding back and it took all my willpower not to cry but I could feel my eyes tear up. The girl looked at me sympathetically and took a few steps towards me. I reacted out of instinct and jabbed Nico in the ribs. I saw Nico yelp and we immediately took offensive stances, after untangling ourselves, while the girl was stopped by the boy whose hand, I had just noticed, was on the girl's shoulder. If this situation got worse, we were bound to be in trouble. The two blonds were easily a couple of years older than us. It wasn't an evenly matched fight, but then again it never was.

For a tense few seconds, we glared at the blonds who were trying to explain something, but were being cut off by each other. Nico slowly pulled us towards the window and whispered, "You know where we are, don't you?" I had a feeling we were in the camp that Grover and our Father wanted us in. But I needed Nico to confirm my theory, I knew Nico wouldn't have brought us to a dangerous place unless we were kidnapped. He knew my thoughts and immediately replied, "Ya, we are in the camp. We barely made it across the hill." I smiled at his antics. He was always the dramatic one, don't let his outfits fool you. The room we were in was quaint. It was similar to those rustic old cottages shown in movies. Nico nudged me, bringing me out of my (or rather our thoughts), I could feel Nico smirking. But that smug smirk was wiped off as we saw Mr. Brunner, our Latin teacher enter the room. He was in his wheelchair, followed by the blond kids.  _I guess they went to to get him._ Mr. Brunner smiled kindly at us and said, "Ah. I see you are awake. Welcome to Camp Half Blood. I Am sure you have met Luke and Annabeth here."

Mr. Brunner introduced us to the mythological world. We both thought that he was bonkers, that is until he stood up from his wheel chair revealing a horse's body. To say we were stunned would be an understatement. The myths were true. I concentrated for a second and I could hear Nico's thoughts. Unsurprisingly we were both doing the same thing, hearing each other's thoughts about the myth of twin children with godly blood. Mr. Brunner then introduced himself to us as Chiron, the legendary trainer of ancient heroes, from Greek mythology. The Greek gods were around and they were still in power. The blonds introduced then themselves as Annabeth, daughter of Athena and Luke, son of Hermes. Luke was silent and looking between as if trying to detect some sort of deception while Annabeth was excitedly rambling on about the camp, named Camp Half-Blood, and its facilities. Finally when asked about the condition of our mother, Chiron told us that generally mortals don't combust into golden dust on dying. He warned us not pursue that train of thought. Before sending us on the tour, Chiron told us that we would be introduced to the director of the camp later as he was away at that time and so we began the long tour with the 2 blonds guiding us along.

Luke gave brief descriptions of the locations while Annabeth kept looking at us with a calculating look in her eyes. It was just a hunch but I had a feeling she wanted to know our godly parent and hated not knowing it while Luke looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but was there simply for the sake of Annabeth. It was clear the two were crushing on each other but they didn't seem to know that. Whatever. It wasn't our job to care about their relationship. As the tour came to an end, with Luke showing us our place in the hermes cabin and informing us of the upcoming game of a violent version of capture the flag, I noticed that Nico had been silent for far too long. He generally commented on everything, if not aloud atleast in my head. Something was definitely wrong.

After ditching the blondes, I dragged Nico to the forest, away from the nymphs for some privacy, and asked him, "Nico, what happened? Are you ok?". Nico looked around before pulling me close and whispering, "Bi, I don't know. I just feel off. Everyone here is using the Greek names of the Roman gods. It sounds off and their behaviour just screams 'Do not trust'. There are talking in some weird language and they have no form of structure or order. It's just that I feel like I am in the enemy's home." Now that Nico brought it up, I remembered that Nico could never understand Greek. It was also the reason we had different language classes at school. I took Greek while he took Latin. I was so caught up with the camp that I forgot about him.

I sat on the forest floor and gently pulled him down in front of me. We were both sitting on our knees with our hands intertwined in the middle. I looked into his eyes and I could sense his fear, worry and loneliness. He was scared that I would leave him. He was afraid that I would abandon him for strangers. I softly whispered, "Nico" He still refused to meet my gaze and I whispered again, "Nic, Please talk to me. We are in this together." He looked up and I could see the tears welling up in his eyes, he whispered, "I don't.." before choking up. It hurt. It hurt so much. I had never seen him cry, he was always the strong one, the level-headed one. He was my rock but who was his? I slowly disentagled my fingers from his, not missing the look of hurt on his face as I did so. I moved closer and gently cupped his face with both hands. I lifted his head and looked into the identical onyx eyes and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Hey, it's going to be okay, Nic. We are not staying here forever. We need to find mom remember. This is going to be fine." He looked into my eyes and asked, "Don't you want to stay here, Bi? I know you like it here. You finally have a place where you don't get called out and the people talk your language too, a place you can call home. I don't want to ruin it for you." I moved closer to him, leaving less than an inch space between our knees, and said, "Nic, You could never ruin anything for me. You are my brother. Remember what mom said, we will always be together, no matter what. Wherever we go, no matter the language, temperature or culture, as long as we are together, that is our home."

By now, our foreheads were resting on each other's, and I used my fingers to wipe away the tears on his face while he smiled shakily and asked, "You really mean it don't you?". I smiled brightly and replied, "Of course, I do Nic. I wouldn't want it any other way. You and me, against all odds, together for ever." He chuckled lightly and said, "You know I think my dramatic effects have been rubbing off on you." I roll my eyes and smile knowing that despite his problems, underneath all the pain and sorrow, he was still my brother, the one person I could count on for anything. The one person I shared my birth with and the one person that I hoped to share my life with. I leaned into him and pecked him on the lips before pushing him on the floor. I burst out laughing looking at his pouting face. Before I could catch my breath, he hooked his leg underneath me and pulled, causing me to face plant on his chest. It was now his turn to start bursting out into laughter. So we entered our own world of games and fun, for a single day, before we began the search for our mother.

 


	9. We see a ghost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per international copyright laws, This is a work of fiction and contains characters from other copyright protected publications. Hence this disclaimer indicates that Percy Jackson and other copyright protected characters belong to Rick Riordan or their respective owners. The components of this work that I can take credit for are any additional characters and the plot created by me. Any offence to the reader is purely UNINTENTIONAL.
> 
> Note: This disclaimer also pertains to the copyright protected characters belonging to any other franchises. All the copyright protected characters mentioned or used in the book, belong to their rightful owners.

Annabeth POV:

It was 10:00 AM and the twins were nowhere to be seen. I was heading to swordsmanship class taught by Luke, the youngest teacher in camp, when Chiron asked me to find the new campers. Even thought I prefer my dagger, I always attended Luke's class, just to have the knowledge incase I ever needed it. I didn't know what to think of the twins. They were close, like very very close. I knew there was something about them but I couldn't figure out what it was and so I prayed to my mother. She always had a plan, however today I didn't get any response to my prayers. Although I could her someone cursing in the wind but it was in Latin.

I sighed deeply before making my way into the forest, the last place they were seen heading to. I only hoped that they weren't victims of some unfortunate accident with some stray animal or monster. It was clear that the girl was a rookie demigod who had just been introduced to the mythological world. But the boy, Nico, he was closed off. It was a sharp contrast to Grover's description. The boy was anxious and extremely alert. His posture was defensive and closed off to anyone but his sister. That brought me back to the first question. How close are they?

As I entered the forest clearing near the lake, I noticed the twins laughing and throwing leaves and sticks at each other. I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed before walking up to them and asking, "What are you two doing? Chiron has been looking for you." I didn't wait for an answer as the girl opened her mouth and I said, "Just follow me. I have to get to class anyway." The two of them followed me whispering all the way. Before dropping them off at the big house, we were intercepted by Clarisse. Normally I'd rebuke her for attempting to bully someone so young but I wanted to know the capabilities of the twins, so I let her drag them to the restrooms. The kids squirmed and struggled in her grip but they couldn't escape. Just when I thought that they were going to be dunked into the toilets, Clarisse tripped over something and fell face first into the toilet. Nico kicked her butt (literally) hard and his sister, Bianca slammed the seat down hard and flushed. While the twins ran towards me giggling, I was focused on Clarisse. There was no visible step or stone or anything for her to slip on. The floor wasn't wet before either. The kids hid behind me as the Ares cabin dragged a cursing and kicking Clarisse away. If they were able to take down Clarisse, then they were worthy to be tested further. So I turned to them and said, "Not bad. Most new campers suffer through it just to appease Clarisse. But you are definitely different." They blushed lightly and Bianca said, "Thanks". While Nico mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like Latin. I grinned as a thought struck me and I asked them if they were willing to join my team for the weekly capture the flag. After some persuasion, they relented and agreed to join the game.

In the evening, Chiron announced the team split up. The red team consisted of the Ares, Dionysius, Aphrodite and Apollo cabins while our team, the blue team consisted of the Athena, Hermes and Hephaesteus cabins. As cabin leaders of our cabins, Luke and I always took lead. The Athena cabin has been unbeaten for over a few decades or so, in a campers only CTF game. While I prepared the battle plan and strategy, Luke was in charge of the tactics and armaments. I finished assembling the last of the defenses, when I saw the twins looking lost in a crowd of armoured demigods. Bianca was armed with a sword while Nico looked unarmed. It was strange but he could have possessed some enchanted weapon. He looked around at the campers with distate. It was perfect. I had set the trap, now to see if they would catch the bait.

I slowly made my way through the crowd and approached the twins. I coughed to get their attention as Bianca was making poses with her sword and Nico was glaring at the grass, almost as if challenging it to burn. Without further ado, I told them to guard the stream along the boundary of the game field. Once the game began, I donned my invisibility cap and followed them as they took their positions. Bianca hid herself in the bushes while Nico just stood under a tree. I could hear Bianca whisper shouting at her brother, asking him to be more interested in the game and that they would resolve their problem later, whatever that problem was. He merely shushed her as they waited for any approaching enemies. I didn't have to wait too long as Clarisse and her siblings made their way to the stream.

On seeing the twins, Clarisse laughed maniacally saying, "Oh, look who it is. The wonder twins. You are going to wish you were never born." Nico and Bianca, who abandoned her hideout on seeing her brother be outnumbered, were standing back to back. Bianca wielded a dual edged sword while her brother pulled out a pencil. I heard Clarisse mock him saying, "What are you going do, idiot? Poke me with a pencil?" He made no move to attack her and simply rotated the pencil in his hand, the pencil began enlargening and transforming into a strange spear. It looked beautiful, with vivid scenes carved upon the faces of the spear and a gleaming golden tip. The spear was not the standard Greek spear, this looked heavy and was made of some godly metal other than celestial bronze.

The twins crouched slightly with their weapons in their hands. Nico held the spear in his right hand, which was behind his left hand. The spear was slanted with the gleaming tip pointed at sky. Bianca held her sword, blade parallel to her chest. Clarisse and her siblings sprang into action, rabidly attacking the twins. Clarrise swiped her electrified spear, Maimer, down along the height of Bianca. Bianca lifted her sword just in time to avoid being sliced open. She began swinging her sword at Clarisse's head, who for her part was toying with the inexperienced demigoddess. Meanwhile, Nico was deflecting the sword and spear strikes sent his way. However his fighting style was weird. His motion was restricted but he wasn't wearing any armour. The motion of his spear was restricted to jabbing and swiping. But he too was barely holding onto the onslaught by the 3 sons of Ares. As the twins made a last stand, against what could most definitely be death, Clarisse taunted them, "Pathetic, is that the best you got? No wonder you mother got killed. You couldn't save her even if you wanted." The twins had twin expressions of rage on their face as they charged their opponents with renewed vigour.

I watched in shock as the shadows of Clarisse and her siblings, gathered around their legs, giving the impression that they were alive. As Clarisse and her siblings tried to move, they found themselves rooted to the spot. Nico took the time to send swift smacks to their arms, effectively disarming them. Bianca, however, swung her sword with too much force and Maimer shattered, leaving Clarisse clutching onto a shard of her former weapon. The horn sounded indicating the end of the game and we all turned to see Luke being cheered by our team while holding the enemy's flag.

I had an idea of the twins' parentage but it was guess. It wasn't possible because of the oath. No.. If the oath was broken, that meant.. No. It didn't matter. The twins had a tired expression on their faces as their made their way to the dining pavilion, followed by an irate Clarisse, yelling a multitude of threats.

I sat next to Luke congratulating him, while keeping an eye on the twins, when suddenly an image shimmered into existence in the middle of the pavilion. A ghost like man with high cheekbones and a sharp nose, dressed in a purple toga with a crown of olives on his head, appeared. His eyes flashed with anger as he looked around and settled his gaze on someone bowing. He made his way over to the bowing figure, howering swiftly and muttering under his breath. He stopped in front of the kneeling boy and spoke, "Surge, Romae Filium." He rose up and I was shocked. It was Nico. No way. I couldn't follow the conversation much as I had a basic knowledge of Latin but it was rudimentary at best.

Nico replied, "Im 'macte suovitaurilibus conspectu tuo, domine mi. Sed quid venisti?"

[I'm honoured by your presence, my lord. But what brings you here?]

The man hurriedly said, "Vos plagam caput, mi fili. Legioni subsidio vestras. Praetoris quaerit auxilium tuum. Facite me superbia."

[you must go west, my son. The legion needs your help. The praetor seeks your aid. Make me proud.]

Nico replied, "Ego autem, domine mi. Sed quis es?"

[I will, my lord. But who are you?]

The man smiled before he said, "Occursum meum, et tu frater, ubi primum. Et erit quaerenti, pueri. Sit vobiscum motu veridicos Parcae." and dissappeared into thin air.

[You will meet my brother, soon. He will answer your questions, child. May the Parcae Be with you.]

The dining pavilion delved into chaos after a minute of silence. Clarisse and her cabin mates were yelling at the twins, calling them traitors. The twins for their part were simply standing next to each other, whispering something. Before the situation got any worse, Chiron slammed his hoofs on the floor, getting everyone's attention. He told the campers to have their dinner and get rest as the sing along was cancelled. He motioned for the twins to follow him as he entered the big house.

 


	10. New Chapter Teaser

Third Person POV:

The sun rose along the shoreline of a beach, casting rays of light on a barricaded camp. The camp was surrounded by the ocean on one side while the the mountains circled it on land, leaving it inaccessible save for a sole highway. At the entrance from the highway stood two teens, a boy and a girl, both clad in purple shirts and decked out in gleaming armor, armed with a spear, a bow and a quiver each.

The path from the highway led to a barren field that was bounded by a turbulent river that flowed along the valley, separating the field from the adjacent city. Across the river, was a city surrounded by towering walls and turret towers. A single bridge stretched across the span of the raging waters, permitting entry into the fortified enclosure. Behind the massive stone walls lay a picturesque city built in the Roman style of architecture. In the middle of the city stood a senate building, flanked by the principia and the senatorial residences on either sides. The city was further guarded by the pomerium line that was overseen by the god, Terminus.

A blonde teen, clad in jeans and a purple shirt with a purple toga draped around his body, stood at the bridge. He was surrounded by a group of teenagers dressed in similar clothing and a girl who adorned a purple toga. The girl's brunette hair was fluterring in the breeze as her copper brown eyes roamed the surroundings with a hint of nervousness and worry. As the last of the teens left, save for her and the purple clad blonde, she slowly approached him. Her eyes were locked onto the electric blue eyes of the boy. The two stood a foot away from one another, never removing their gaze from the other. The boy spoke first, "Reyna.."

But he never completed the sentence as the girl quickly closed the gap between them and pecked him on the lips. The sound of footsteps broke the daze of the shocked boy as they broke apart quickly. A boy of 15, with a childish face and disproportionate body, was followed by a dark skinned girl with bright yellow eyes. They bowed lightly to the couple and rose. "Praetors" They greeted.

The girl identified as Reyna spoke, "Legionnaires Hazel and Frank, I believe you have been briefed about the mission details. My fellow praetor" as she pointed to the blonde boy, "shall lead this quest. Maybe you be successful in your quest. Ad victoriam." With those words the girl left, joining the cheering crowd at the gates.

**A/N: And so the plot thickens.**   
**Thank you readers for your interest and support.**   
**The author requests that readers submit their reviews for the story so far. Any queries, comments or suggestions will also be entertained.**

 


	11. The Hounds Of War

Third Person POV:

The sun rose along the shoreline of a beach, casting rays of light on a barricaded camp. The camp was surrounded by the ocean on one side while the the mountains circled it on land, leaving it inaccessible save for a sole highway. At the entrance from the highway stood two teens, a boy and a girl, both clad in purple shirts and decked out in gleaming armor, armed with a spear, a bow and a quiver each.

The path from the highway led to a barren field that was bounded by a turbulent river that flowed along the valley, separating the field from the adjacent city. Across the river, was a city surrounded by towering walls and turret towers. A single bridge stretched across the span of the raging waters, permitting entry into the fortified enclosure. Behind the massive stone walls lay a picturesque city built in the Roman style of architecture. In the middle of the city stood a senate building, flanked by the principia and the senatorial residences on either sides. The city was further guarded by the pomerium line that was overseen by the god, Terminus.

A blonde teen, clad in jeans and a purple shirt with a purple toga draped around his body, stood at the bridge. He was surrounded by a group of teenagers dressed in similar clothing and a girl who adorned a purple toga. The girl's brunette hair was fluterring in the breeze as her copper brown eyes roamed the surroundings with a hint of nervousness and worry. As the last of the teens left, save for her and the purple clad blonde, she slowly approached him. Her eyes were locked onto the electric blue eyes of the boy. The two stood a foot away from one another, never removing their gaze from the other. The boy spoke first, "Reyna.."

But he never completed the sentence as the girl quickly closed the gap between them and pecked him on the lips. The sound of footsteps broke the daze of the shocked boy as they broke apart quickly. A boy of 15, with a childish face and disproportionate body, was followed by a dark skinned girl with bright yellow eyes. They bowed lightly to the couple and rose. "Praetors" They greeted.

The girl identified as Reyna spoke, "Legionnaires Hazel and Frank, I believe you have been briefed about the mission details. My fellow praetor" as she pointed to the blonde boy, "shall lead this quest. Maybe you be successful in your quest. Ad victoriam." With those words the girl left, joining the cheering crowd at the gates.

It was just another Monday morning when the Augur received the word of the Gods. The God of prophecy and truth, Lord Phoebus Apollo had sent a message to the denizens of Rome, speaking of a great evil that sought the destruction of humanity. In all the years of his praetorship, the son of Jupiter never had known the gods to send a message in violation of the ancient laws. Hence the son of Jupiter was determined to complete their quest and retrieve the missing weapon, a weapon they knew nothing about save for a cryptic warning. The demigod praetor was joined by his questmates and the three slowly made their way across the batten fields and towards the sole exit.

The trio sat in the back of the Grey Sisters cab, that rocketed at nearly terminal velocity, discussing the prophecy that went as follows.

_Twins of the stars_   
_Born of a broken heart,_   
_Must unlock the seer's blade_   
_Lest the angel fall to love's arrow,_   
_Or the blade of time._

It was not lost on any of them that the quest couldn't be completed by themselves but by a pair of twins and yet they went on the quest, atleast to find the prophesied pair. The trio captured Nereus and after much persuasion, obtained a clue regarding the whereabouts of the twins. Nereus relented under immense pressure even opting death before giving up the clue, but in the end all Nereus told them was to head east to the land of dreams. Deducing from the barely audible whisper of ' _Dirigo_ ' from Nereus' dying breath, the three Roman half bloods made their way across the country and into Maine.

A heavy silence enclosed the forest as the purple clad teens stumbled across the forest. A loud unearthly howl was heard in the distance as the light of the full moon shone upon the forest floor. Jason had a long rip across his shirt revealing an athletic torso riddled with dirt and scratches. Frank fared no better as his fingers were covered with blood stained tapes to heal his bleeding fingers. Hazel's forehead was caked in dry blood as the occasional drop of blood dripped out of a nasty gash on her temple. Despite their injuries, the teens managed to run in the forest. The howls grew closer as time passed by and the first of the three fell. Frank slumped across the forest floor as his injuries and the exhaustion from their journey caught up with him. Jason and Hazel stopped in their tracks and tried to help their fellow demigod as the howls kept getting closer.

The demigod son of Jupiter knew that he couldn't outrun his enemy, not when he was in the forest, and he knew that his fellow questmates were too tired to fight. So Jason knelt on the ground and whispered a prayer to his Uncle asking for refuge, when the earth rumbled and a cave of stone and earth rose around them, enclosing them and offering them sanctuary. Looking back at his unconcious friends, Jason felt fear for their safety and fear for the future of Rome itself. His enemy knew where he was and was also looking for the same thing as him. The hounds of war had been let loose and itt was only a matter of time before they painted the streets of Rome red with the blood of it's people. His thoughts only grew more vicious as he felt the pull of Somnus lull him to sleep. Little did he know, that the answer they so desperately sought were hiding in plain sight.

 


	12. Announcement

The author is looking for extra characters to be added to the storyline and has setup the following link for readers to design and submit their own characters. The participants will be intimated when their characters appear in the story along with a chapter dedication. Click the link below to be redirected to the page. Thank you readers.

[Character Submission](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdYTTETKCYhi3VvJZOQJUg9G3SqWaZKTiIpKbwHwn2EeWkSmQ/viewform)

 


	13. A Forgotten Tale

Third person POV

In a majesticly lit cathedral underneath the clear night sky, stood a man and a boy. The boy was clearly injured with blood running across his chest and leaves and sticks strewn in his hair. The man however reeked of power, a presence that brought along an eerie peace with it. He had greasy, black hair and was dressed in a dark suit with a black and platinum striped tie and a tombstone gray shirt. He wore a silver ring on his finger and his skin was pale, so much so that it looked almost blue, like cold milk. His eyes shone with a dark power and magnificence.

The blonde boy bowed his head before the powerful being and spoke in Latin, 'Lord Pluto, an honour to be in your presence. Thank you lord for you gracious help.' The god of the dead merely raised an eyebrow and replied, 'You are remarkable for a son of Jupiter, praetor. However I am not here to discuss your merit. Rise, praetor.'

The bowing teen rose and the god continued, 'While I do not approve of my nephew's choice to release this prophecy, I cannot stand in its path. This is just the beginning, son of Jupiter. You must complete this quest with haste.' The teen, Jason, was clearly shocked. This prophecy was too complicated, just like any prophecy, but the icing on this cake was that somehow even the gods stood divided. The gods may have a thousand quarrels amongst one another but they always stood united against an external threat, even if their approaches were different. But now the gods stood divided and it just so happened in the life time of 2 of the big three's children.

The lord of the dead sighed as he ran a hand along the hem of his impeccable suit. 'It was a long time ago, when Rome conquered Greece and transformed our existence, we began adopting our roles in the Roman society. The Capitoline triad consisting of Jupiter, Juno and Mars ruled over any and all matters regarding the mortal and often the immortal world. The council lost its voice as Jupiter and Juno arbitrarily ruled Olympus while their son became the protector and patron of Rome. Jupiter decreeded that no God shall interfere in mortal affairs unless the Titans were released, a rule he insisted upon since the incarceration of our father. The gods found a loophole, at first they merely used it for helping their children or the mortals. But soon they began recklessly altering mortal affairs. The loophole was the fact that only a God couldn't interfere in mortal affairs. So the gods adopted an immortal champion each and they interfered on their patron's behalf, much like Diana's huntresses. When Jupiter learned of this, he struck down all the champions and cast them into my kingdom after removing their immortality. Even the one's hidden by their patron's were found and struck down. Only one champion escaped, he was the champion of Neptune, a boy by the name of Perseus.', said the God.

Jason listened intently to the forgotten tale as the lord of riches sat on an ornate chair of shadows that formed behind him. He asked the God in front of him, 'What happened to Perseus, my lord?'. The king of the underworld replied, 'There is not much information on Perseus but the only people to have seen him are the Atlantians and the members of Neptune's court. They called him, 'The Angel' but never spoke of his appearance to an outsider, even an Olympian. Neptune swore an oath that he did not hide his champion, which was the only reason a full blown war had been averted. Diana and Mercury scoured the earth for him but neither found any trace of him and to this day Diana holds a grudge against Neptune because he refused to let Diana in his domain.'

Jason couldn't help but remember the prophecy that spoke of an angel. Before he could voice his thoughts, the lord of the dead spoke, 'Yes, as you can imagine, Neptune is furious that his beloved champion will be killed before he gets to meet him. I do not blame him, unlike the other gods, Neptune only had a champion because he needed an emissary to unite the Atlantian kingdoms. Neptune even forced Jupiter to restrict Venus to Olympus. So make haste son of Jupiter, time grows short. Your quest has barely begun but you must make haste before the prophecy reaches fruition. The enemies of Rome will hunt you to stop you from reaching the champion but you cannot give up. Head to the school and you will be safe. Make haste, Praetor.'

The cathedral and the lord of the dead dissolved into darkness as the blonde boy woke up, in a cave surrounded by his fellow questmates, gasping for air. They were close, close to the school. They just needed to get there to get help. It was likely that the 'twins of the stars' were there but regardless of the chance, they had to reach the school. For their lives, for the lives of their fellow countrymen, for their gods, for their culture and for the sake of Rome itself.

 


End file.
